Guwahati: Assam has been ramping up its efforts in the fisheries sector to achieve self-sufficiency in fish production by 2026. However, recent data and analyses suggest that this goal remains a distant dream for the Northeastern state.

Despite witnessing a surge of over 33% in fish production over the past five years, Assam is reliant on other states to meet its annual fish demand, which currently stands at approximately 5 lakh tonnes. The surge in production comes amidst a 25% rise in per capita consumption, highlighting the state's growing appetite for fish.

The central government's target of elevating the country's fish production to 22 million tonnes by 2024-25 underscores the significance of each fish-producing state meeting its individual targets within the stipulated timeframe. The fisheries sector has been hailed as a 'sunrise sector', thanks to its remarkable double-digit average annual growth of 10.87% since 2014–15.

Data from the Directorate of Fisheries, released earlier this week, reveals that Assam's fish production surged from 3.31 lakh tonnes in the fiscal year 2018-19 to 4.43 lakh tonnes in the preceding year. The joint director of the directorate, Ramendra Chandra Barman, said fish consumption is expected to increase even more in the coming years.

He noted the diverse range of fish varieties at weddings, in hotels, and in restaurants, as pescatarians expect diverse dining options. “Although people prefer seafood, river fish like rohu, katla, and mrigel carp from other states are also brought from other states for crowd feeding because of their size,” he added.

The joint director said the state is still lagging in producing large-sized fish as the climatic conditions do not support the farming of such fish.

“The optimal temperature range for fish production is between 29 and 32 degrees celsius. Within this range, the metabolic rates of the creatures can be enhanced, contributing to improved productivity. However, it is not happening in the state currently,” Barman added. 

Despite the marginal increase in production, the state was compelled to procure 2.6 lakh tonnes of fish in the previous financial year, marking a significant 116% rise compared to 2018–19. These figures highlight the persistent shortfall in meeting the escalating demand, with Assam importing 1.2 lakh tonnes of fish from other regions during the 2018-19 fiscal year.

While the country achieved a record fish production of 161.87 lakh tonnes in 2021–22, Assam's annual production also witnessed an uptick to 4.32 lakh tonnes during the same period. However, the state still sources 10-15 tonnes of fish daily from other states to bridge the demand-supply gap, leading to substantial cash outflows.

Addressing the financial aspect of achieving self-sufficiency, the Fishery Department estimated a total requirement of approximately Rs 4,000 crore for Assam to bolster its fish production capabilities. The central government has approved various project proposals amounting to Rs 204.60 crore, with a central share of Rs 98.57 crore, during the financial years 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22.

These initiatives encompass a range of activities such as establishing new freshwater finfish hatcheries, rearing ponds, grow-out ponds, stocking of fingerlings in wetlands, ornamental fish cultivation, Biofloc culture system adoption, fish feed mill setups, and fish marketing endeavors.

While Assam grapples with its aspirations for self-sufficiency, neighboring states like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura have also witnessed notable increases in fish production, albeit to varying degrees.